Resistance welding 6061-T6?

By roboarc Date 12-05-2002 15:35

I have been assigned the task of designing a product that consist of 2-13ga 6061-T6 sheets which must be fastened. I origonally chose rivets to fasten but was not please with their performance. I have since gone to GMAW but feel it is not the optimal process for our welding shop.

I would like to try RSW but have never used it in an aluminum application. I assume it require the same equipment as RSW of steel. Are there any special concerns regarding Al? Cracking? Material type?

By DGXL

Date 12-05-2002 16:08

What is your application and criteria for your weld?

Other than additional electrode maintenance (aluminum requires frequent tip dressing), no special concerns that you would not apply to any other materials being RSW.

We qualified some structural aluminum welds for a project a few years back. About the only "problem" we encountered was the inherent void within the weld nugget which we reduced from about 50% of the weld area down to about 20%. I know that sounds like a bit much, but it was what the MIl standard allowed for that weld categorie.

This client originally used GMAW to attach aluminum angles to relatively thin sheet. RSW reduced fabrication costs substantially.